ABSTRACT Although cancer health disparities are well documented, translational studies to explore the possible molecular basis are rare, due to the fact that racial and ethnic minorities are poorly represented in biospecimen repositories, molecular databases and clinical trials. Established in 2008, the Puerto Rico Biobank (PRBB) is a valuable resource of high public health significance given the scarcity of basic science cancer studies involving Puerto Ricans, an admixed population of European, African and Amerindian ancestral genomes. Through this unique resource, fresh tissues, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues (FPPE), RNA and genomic DNA (gDNA) are already available to support research focusing on the molecular aspects and biological determinants of cancer health disparities involving Puerto Rican Hispanic/Latinos (H/Ls) living in the island and H/Ls living in FL. Responsive to the known under-representation of ethnic/racial minorities in large-scale genomic consortia and biobanks, the Human Cancer Models Initiative (HCMI) recently published an RFA entitled Support Acquisition and Annotation of Biospecimens from Racial/Ethnically Diverse Cancer Patients for the Development of Models. The main goal of this grant initiative is to support accrual of well-annotated tumor aliquots from racial/ethnic minority cancer patients to be used for development of next-generation in vitro cancer models such as organoids. We propose that the PRBB is well positioned to contribute to the understanding of the genetic landscape of cancers affecting the H/L population using emerging in vitro models by contributing biospecimens from this patient population via two Specific Aims. In Aim 1 we propose to continue the identification, consenting and collection of fresh cancer tissues from H/L patients undergoing oncology surgery in collaboration with local hospitals and clinics in Puerto Rico. We will work with HCMI to ensure the proper collection, processing, storage and distribution of biospecimens for molecular analysis and development of cancer cell models by establishing the HCMI standardized protocols for fresh tissue collection at our accrual sites. In Aim 2, we propose to continue the documentation of demographical, clinical, pathological data to allow for investigations of correlations between molecular profiles and therapy response and/or clinical outcomes using these novel models. By working to increase the number of tissues available from this racial/ethnic minority, the PRBB in collaboration with HCMI will tackle an important constraint to conducting research needed to understand the biological basis of documented health disparities in H/Ls.